Week 3 of the preseason began on Thursday with the Indianapolis Colts defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 27-14. Rookie wideouts Adonai Mitchell and Jermaine Burton both caught a touchdown in the game. Elsewhere, the Chicago Bears beat the Kansas City Chiefs in a game that highlighted Chiefs undrafted rookie Carson Steele, who rushed for 50 yards and a score.
The preseason finale represents the final opportunity for first-year talents to prove they deserve regular-season playing time. We've identified five rookies who need to string together good performances this weekend.
Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots
The New England Patriots have yet to name a starting quarterback for the regular season. Head coach Jerod Mayo could make his decision following Sunday's preseason finale with the Washington Commanders. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye is gaining momentum.
Veteran quarterback Jacboy Brissett was initially expected to be named the starter, but Maye has displayed better-than-expected progress in recent weeks. Maye generally played well in last weekend’s preseason game, throwing for 47 yards and rushing for a touchdown. Another good performance could convince Mayo to place trust in his rookie signal-caller.
Luke McCaffrey, WR, Washington Commanders
The Commanders gave up on 2022 first-rounder Jahan Dotson, trading him (along with a 2025 fifth-round pick) to their division rival Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2025 third-round selection and two seventh-rounders. His departure welcomes a huge opportunity for rookie wideout Luke McCaffrey to establish himself as the new No. 2 WR in the offense.
Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has Terry McLaurin as his go-to receiver, but there's now little standing in McCaffrey's pathway to every-down relevance. Fellow first-year pass-catcher Ben Sinnott will also benefit from the Dotson trade. McCaffrey had two receptions for 30 yards last week.
Tyrice Knight, LB, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks starting off-ball linebacker Jerome Baker has missed the entire preseason with an injury. Baker returned to Thursday's practice in a limited capacity, but he's unlikely to play in Saturday's exhibition game versus the Cleveland Browns. Fourth-round rookie Tyrice Knight has seen an increased workload in his absence.
Knight has taken advantage of his opportunity. He’s flown around sideline to sideline and made plays both in coverage and versus the run. Competition at linebacker got a little deeper earlier this week when the Seahawks traded cornerback Mike Jackson to the Carolina Panthers for fellow rookie linebacker Michael Barrett.
Dominick Puni, OG, San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers recently confirmed that Dominick Puni will be their starting right guard this season. Puni entered camp in a perceived three-way battle for the job with veterans Spencer Burford and Jon Feliciano. Injuries to both players afforded the third-round rookie an opportunity that he ran with.
Burford and Feliciano will eventually return from injury, and they'll expect to reclaim the starting job. Puni's first game as the confirmed starting right guard will occur in Friday night's exhibition finale versus the Miami Dolphins. Puni is talented enough to make the 49ers feel good about their decision.
Ruke Orhorhoro, DT, Atlanta Falcons
It's been an extremely busy and aggressive offseason for the Atlanta Falcons. The team expects to compete in the NFC after signing quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year contract. Several defensive reinforcements have arrived as well, including recently added Pro Bowl safety Justin Simmons.
There's competition for spots all over Atlanta's defense. Rookie second-round defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro is vying for play-time. Orhorhoro recorded a sack last week, but he's also struggled versus the run, earning a grade of 29.1 from Pro Football Focus in that department.
